Lexical Summary Azzathi: Gazite Original Word: עַזָּתִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Gazathite, Gazite Patrial from Azzah; an Azzathite or inhabitant of Azzah -- Gazathite, Gazite. see HEBREW Azzah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Azzah Definition inhab. of Gaza NASB Translation Gazite (1), Gazites (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs עַזָּתִי adjective, of a people of foregoing, with article as substantive collective Joshua 13:3 (D); plural לָעַזָּתִים Judges 16:2. Topical Lexicon Term and Occurrences עַזָּתִי designates “Gazites,” the inhabitants of Gaza. The word appears twice, Joshua 13:3 and Judges 16:2, each time placing the people of Gaza within decisive moments of Israel’s history. Geographical Context of Gaza Gaza occupied the southernmost position of the Philistine pentapolis, commanding the Via Maris trade route between Egypt and the Levant. Fertile hinterlands, abundant wells, and a fortified seaport made it a strategic prize for every regional power from Egypt to Assyria. Its walls testified to Philistine engineering, and its temple of Dagon represented the spiritual conflict between paganism and the worship of the LORD. Gaza during the Conquest under Joshua Joshua 13:3 lists “the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites”. Though Gaza remained in Philistine hands at the time, its inclusion among the territories yet to be possessed underscored God’s promise: the land was already apportioned to Israel in covenant, even if not yet occupied in experience (Joshua 13:1-7). The mention of the Gazites therefore reminds readers that divine inheritance is certain, though faith and obedience are required to enjoy it. Gaza in the Era of the Judges Judges 16:2 narrates Philistine vigilance against Samson: “When the Gazites were told, ‘Samson is here!’ they surrounded him and lay in wait at the gate of the city all night long”. Gaza’s locked gates symbolize human attempts to confine the deliverance God provides, yet Samson’s removal of the gates (Judges 16:3) proves that the LORD’s power is not restrained by fortified opposition. Gaza was later the scene of Samson’s final act, as he brought the house of Dagon down upon the Philistines (Judges 16:21-30), displaying God’s judgment on idolatry. Prophetic and Later Biblical Echoes Although the gentilic form עַזָּתִי does not recur, the city of Gaza is repeatedly singled out by the prophets: Amos 1:6-8, Zephaniah 2:4, Zechariah 9:5, and others. Each prophecy anticipates divine reckoning on Gaza for violence against Israel and for trafficking in human lives. The New Testament resumes the geography of Gaza when Philip meets the Ethiopian official “on the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (Acts 8:26), signaling that salvation now reaches to the ends of the earth, even along routes once dominated by Philistine power. Theological and Ministry Insights 1. Conflict between Promise and Occupation: The recurring presence of Gaza in Israel’s unfinished conquest illustrates the tension believers often experience between promised victory and present struggle (compare Hebrews 4:1-11). Lessons for the Church Today • Pray for modern Gaza and all lands historically linked to biblical conflict, that their inhabitants might find peace through the Prince of Peace. Forms and Transliterations הָעַזָּתִ֤י העזתי לַֽעַזָּתִ֣ים ׀ לעזתים hā‘azzāṯî hā·‘az·zā·ṯî haazzaTi la‘azzāṯîm la·‘az·zā·ṯîm laazzaTimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 13:3 HEB: סַרְנֵ֣י פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים הָעַזָּתִ֤י וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִי֙ הָאֶשְׁקְלוֹנִ֣י NAS: of the Philistines: the Gazite, the Ashdodite, KJV: of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, INT: lords of the Philistines the Gazite the Ashdodite the Ashkelonite Judges 16:2 2 Occurrences |
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